Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-12-16
CURRENT AFFAIRS.
.HE uHrNGHAM CONTROVERSIES



The historians Of Whitngham appear to
be still in controversy about whether that
town was formerly called Cumberland. ]
called attention to the fact that it was laid
down us Cumberland on two maps aud re
ferrcd to by that name in an early act Of
the legislature Of the state One of the
historians, the Honorable Clark Jillson,
seems to think that the two maps are the
same, and writes that he happens to own
this same map, and the town of Readsbo-
rough is not on It. He appears to infer from
this that the territory laid down as Cum
berland was not or may not have been the
same as that of Nottingham. He also ap-
pears 10 doubt whether the Cumberland re
ferred 10 in the act Of the Legislature was
the same Us Whitugham nllude to this
subject again 10 correct these misapprehen-
sions and not for the purpose Of continu-
ing any controversy RcadsburOugh is laid
down upon the largest and most reliable of
these maps. Cumberland is laid down as a
town bounded ON the north by Draper, now
Wilmington, on the east by Halifax, on the
south 10y Massachusetts Bay now Massachu-
setts, and ON the west 10y ReadsbOrough, ex
actly Us Nottingham would be then and is
now bounded. The map also exhibits ''all
the private grants of land made and locat-
ed in that province, New York compiled
from actual surveys deposited in the patent
office at New York In the town of Cum
berland are laid down the six private
grants we'll known to be in Nottingham,
namely that to Carleton in the northwest
corner, that to Walker next east, and that
to Norberg east Of that that to Winning
x Go. in the interior, that to Lieut.. Gam
bic in the southwesterly part, and that to
Col. Whiting, after whom the town was
called Nottingham, III the southeast corner.
This map was published Jan. /, l1i9, in
London. Of course that was after it was
compiled, drawn, engraved and printed
from the actual surveys made long before
and deposited IN the patent Office This
cannot he the map which Mr. Jillson owns
and refers to. That must be the other one
10 which | referred. That is "A map of
towns, and has all the towns of that vicini-
ty upon it except ReadsbOrough, with that
in the place Of Whitingham laid down as
Cumberland. The act Of the legislature
established the dividing line Of the coun-
ties bv referring to the lines of towns The
description proceeds from town to town
until it reaches the northwest corner OF
Draper, and proceeds thence southerly in
the west lines of Draper and Cumberland
to the north line Of the Massachusetts Bay"
That line has remained there ever since
the line between the counties and is now
the west line Of Wilmington and Whiting
ham. The first convention of delegates
from towns on both sides Of the mountains
for the purpose Of organizing a state out Of
that part Of New York known as the New
Hampshire Grants now Vermont, was
holden in IS at "Cephas Kents, Dorset,
Sept. %" In the roll OF Members from
the east side of the Green Mountains by
towns, with the names OF their respective
delegates, it is stated that. Wilmington
and Cumberland were represented 10y let
ters from some of the principal inhabi-
tants. There was no town Of Cumber-
land to he represented there except that
now Whitingham. These facts show plain
ly that Nottingham was formerly called
Cumberland, and that the boundaries Of
the town were then the same as now.
H. H. "